Tracey Cole

July in the garden

It may be winter but there is still plenty to do in the garden, and one important task this month is pruning mainly fruit trees and roses, but also deciduous shrubs that may need a tidy up. It’s ok to prune any other trees or shrubs where necessary but not spring flowering ones. Feed all the pruned plants with a general fertiliser, water well and add a layer of mulch, not too near the stem. July is the time to prune Hydrangeas by cutting back the stems that have flowered down to half their length, removing any diseased, weak, dead or damaged growth.

As many plants are dormant now you can safely move them to a more suitable or convenient spot. This is an ideal way to re-arrange and refresh your garden lay-out.As well as pruning trees and shrubs you can also plant any new deciduous varieties this month.

Colour can be added to borders and containers with indigenous Fynbos, the Tree Fuschia, Hallena Lucinda, Buddleia auriculata, Proteus and Aloes. All good nectar plants for wildlife. Calendulas, snapdragons, violas and Bellis perennis will brighten gloomy winter days, as will Osteopermums (Cape daisy), and Gazanias.Deadhead any flowering annuals to keep them blooming for as long as possible.

If you had been considering making changes to your garden paths, now is a good time to do it. A new path can add a whole new exciting dimension to your garden, so let your creative side loose and plan an alternative access to various areas.

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We at village gardens have a knowledge of all of your local edible plants here in South Africa. We can happily plant up your garden with edibles of all varieties from Mediterranean herbs and local indigenous edibles. We are surrounded by such stunning hardy indigenous plants, let’s get back to nature and have our own garden of local goodness.